During the1860s, La Cueva was home to a man by the name of Agostini-Justiniani, “El Ermitano”, the Hermit. Agostini was born in 1800 to a wealthy Italian family. As a young man he studied to be a priest but for unknown reasons decided against taking his vows. He spent his life traveling, mostly by foot, through Europe, Mexico, South America, Cuba and the United States. In 1869 he made his home in La Cueva, a natural shelter in the Organ Mountains (presently located in Dripping Springs Natural Area).

Come to the La Cueva picnic area at 7:00 pm on June 25th, 2010 and meet this historical personality for a program that will last approximately an hour. Scott Green, Education Coordinator for The New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum, will bring the character of the Hermit back to life in a living history reenactment program about this mysterious man.

The Dripping Springs Natural Area is located 10 miles east of Las Cruces, on the west side of the Organ Mountains. From Exit 1 on Interstate 25, take University Avenue/Dripping Springs Road east to the end.

For further information, call McKinney Briske at BLM’s office at 575-525-4334.

A $3.00 vehicle pass will apply, but no extra fee will be charged for the program.

In protection against his solitary lifestyle, he told his friends in Mesilla to watch out for his safety by saying, “I shall make a fire in front of my cave every Friday evening while I shall be alive. If the fire fails to appear, it will be because I have been killed. I shall bless you daily in my prayers.” One Friday night in the April of 1869, the Hermit’s fire was not seen. A group from Mesilla came up the mountain and found the Hermit lying face down, stabbed in the back.

On his gravestone in the Mesilla cemetery the following is written in Spanish:

“Juan Maria Justiniano, Hermit of the Old and New World. He died the 17th of April, 1869, at 69 years and 49 years a hermit.”

The Preston Contemporary Art Center, Mesilla, NM will showcase six artists working in various mediums in the gallery’s 2010 Summer Exhibition opening Friday, July 9 with a reception for the artists from 6:30 – 8:30 pm.  The exhibit, a colorful celebration of the second anniversary of Preston Contemporary Art, will run through Saturday, Sept 25.
 
Preston Contemporary Art has “gone green,” effective with this exhibition; postcard announcements have been replaced by a PCAC e-letter.  To receive announcements of gallery openings and events, email bschranz@prestoncontemporaryart.com with your request to be added to the gallery email list.
 
Included in the 2010 Summer Exhibition are works by Ho Baron, sculpture; Judith Content, fiber; Richard Heinsohn, painting; Tom Millea, photography; Lewis Ocepek, mixed media; and Valente Francisco Saenz, painting.
 
Palo Alto, CA artist Judith Content discovered the textile arts while a student at San Francisco State.  There began her work on the striking wall hangings, deeply textured and colorful, demonstrating artistry that has now received recognition for decades. Today she creates hand-dyed, pieced, quilted silk wall pieces for corporate and residential environments. Her current work explores a contemporary interpretation of the traditional Japanese dye technique called arashi-shibori.  She says the pieces are inspired by the interplay of light and shadow as fog descends and dissipates along the Pacific coast. Her works display the colors, patterns and textures of stone, sky, fire and water. Content’s works are found in corporate installations that include the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Tropicana Products, AT&T, Chevron Corporation, and Lourdes Hospital, KY. Her textile pieces are also in the collections of the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco; the Museum of Art & Design, NYC; the International Shibori Collections, Nagoya, Japan; and the Women Beyond Borders Contemporary Art Collection and numerous private collections.
 
Tennessee artist Richard Heinsohn explains that using the language of abstraction in painting allows him to express fascination with the mysteries of life and to convey this intrigue to others. His approach is expressive and as chaotic as it is ordered. His intuitive style connects him to the universal energy that exists between all matters, bringing the viewer into the explosive and exciting paintings.  Working actively, he applies large amounts of paint with his hands, pieces of wood and improvised tools, and he suggests that making these images is somewhat like automatic writing.  He sometimes includes objects like wood scraps, worn-out gloves or discarded toys “to further indicate how we are interwoven into a multidimensional flow of things. The vivid colors and simple shapes are meant to provoke contemplation of the vast process and our tiny place in it, and to stimulate meditation of the human spirit.” Heinsohn was awarded a BFA from the University of Georgia, Lamar Dodd School of Art,  Athens. He worked in New York City for 15 years, exhibiting at the Allan Stone Gallery with notables that included Willem de Kooning and Franz Kline.  Now living in Tennessee, he was recently selected as the “Critic’s Pick” in the Nashville Scene for his solo exhibition at the Estel Gallery; he has also served as a guest lecturer at the Pratt Institute, NYC and was featured in a PBS feature shot on location in his studio.
 
Tom Millea’s photographs on display at the Preston Contemporary Art Center are his most recent explorations in a career that has placed him among the leaders  of artists and curators working in the photographic medium. He was one of the very few photographers to reintroduce platinum printing, an older process that basically had to be reinvented with the introduction of new chemistry to the process.  Living in Carmel Valley, CA, he began the first of his large bodies of work – The Carmel Valley Series. Another widely exhibited body of work done in the small town of Death Valley Junction, photographs of people and the landscape, won the Friends of Photography Ruttenberg Grant in 1982. He currently continues work on Women in Black Velvet, a series of portraits and figure studies.  In 1989, Millea began to study digital printing, finding these a strong compliment to his platinum prints.  Photographs in this Preston exhibition are from his newest project, The Book of Palms.

An interest in the spiritual potency of ritual icons as they are expressed in various cultures is the basis for the current body of mixed media works of Las Cruces, NM printmaker Louis Ocepek. “The mixing of media encourages the creation of rich layers of color and texture, which form a lush spatial backdrop for detailed graphic and linear elements,” he says.  Ocepek uses both conventional and digital media to create relief constructions, digital prints and illustrations. Other artworks include screen prints created by successive overprinting of multiple stencils.  Ocepek taught at New Mexico State University from 1985 until 2001.   He served for six years as art department chair and won the Westhafer Award for Excellence in Teaching.  His book Graphic Design: Vision, Process, Product was published in 2002.  Ocepek’s works in graphic design, illustration and printmaking have been published and exhibited internationally and are included in numerous corporate, institutional and private collections.
 
Sculpture has been Ho Baron’s passion for more than 30 years, though he has also found expression in a variety of visual arts and broadcast media. Sculpture’s tactile aspects, its challenges and varied methods in producing each piece hold his continued attention, he says.  He abstracts the human form with unique motifs of surreal imagery.  “They are intuitive translations of a fluid-like imagery, an impulsive metal flow that unfolds in an arduous sculptural process and evolves from a lump of clay into a humanoid of bronze, cast stone and sometime resin.” Born in Chicago, Baron was raised on the Mexican border in El Paso, TX. His body of work of more than 300 pieces includes sculptures at the Baltimore American Visionary Art Museum, El Paso Museum of Art, El Paso Museum of Archaeology, and El Paso Public Library. “On the Upside Down,” in the Preston exhibition, was temporarily installed on the border of the United State and Canada in view of all who drove to the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
 
The Taoist belief that every living thing has a place in the natural order of things and each person has a destiny to fulfill is the philosophy that has guided emerging artist, Valente Francisco Saenz of El Paso, TX in his development as a painter. Crisis, both local and worldwide, has heightened his concern for contemporary global issues, the focus of his current body of work.  Using richly hued acrylics, Saenz paints geometrical forms, as well as historically referenced imagery, both mystical and philosophical. His current work includes symbols related to unity, to progress and prosperity, inspired by the Chinese IChing, as well as Masonic and Celtic imagery. Saenz’s work has been exhibited at the Universidad Autonoma a de Cd. Juarez, Mexico; Marchand Arte Contemporaneo, Torreon, Mexico; Commermex Bank gallery, Juarez; El Paso Community College; and the Mexican General Consulate gallery, El Paso.
  Preston Contemporary Art is located at 1755 Avenida de Mercado (at the end of Calle de Mercado) in Mesilla, NM.  Hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday, 1 – 5 pm and other times by appointment. For information, call 575-523-8713 or visit the website www.prestoncontemporaryart.com.

The First Annual Plein Air Competition & Community Arts Festival September 11 & 12, 2010

Following a popular trend which draws upon the French expression en plein air, meaning “in the open air,” the Doña Ana Arts Council (DAAC) proudly presents the first Color Las Cruces Plein Air Competition and Community Arts Festival, September 11 & 12, 2010. The premiere event will be two full days of ongoing activities in Downtown Las Cruces, featuring an artist workshop, a “Quickdraw” competition, two Plein Air competitions, a VIP Artist Reception and a Citywide gallery hop.

 During the event weekend, juried artists will compete for cash and merchandise prizes in one of two Plein Air categories. To compete, artists will go to an outdoor location in Las Cruces during a four-hour period on Saturday morning, where they will begin and complete a painting, then return with the finished piece. A Quickdraw competition will also take place during the Farmer’s Market, in front of the Rio Grande Theatre. These artists will have one hour to complete a drawing or painting and finished work will be displayed and judged by the public for prizes. Artists can register prior to the competition at the theatre.

Winners of the two Plein Air categories will be announced Saturday evening at the VIP Artist Reception at the Rio Grande Theatre, where attendees can meet the artists, sample food from the best restaurants in town, enjoy wine from local wineries and take in a live performance on the theatre stage. A public exhibit and sale of completed paintings will take place in participating galleries on Sunday afternoon, from noon until 4pm, with artists in attendance.

As an added treat, on Thursday, September 9 and Friday, September 10, Denver artist Kevin Wechbach will give a two-day Plein Air workshop, which is open to artists of all levels. Wechbach will also act as guest judge of the Plein Air competition on Saturday. The class size will be limited for personal instruction and a fee will be charged for the workshop, so attendees should contact the Doña Ana Arts Council immediately to reserve space.

Color Las Cruces is sponsored in part by the City of Las Cruces, the Las Cruces Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, The New Mexico Tourism Department, the Frame and Art Center and Out Of The Blue. For artist entry applications, workshop enrollment and/or any general information, call (575) 523-6403 or visit www.Las-Cruces-Arts.org.

July 3

9:00pm     City of Las Cruces Electric Light Parade
Begins Corner of Madrid Avenue and Solano Drive to Hadley Avenue to Walnut Avenue to Spruces Avenue.
Pepsi, Food, Arts & Crafts available on the parade route.

Fourth of July Street Fest
1600 E. Hadley Ave. Meerscheidt Recreation Center.
Food, Arts & Crafts, Beverage Vendors

10:00 pm    In Concert: Journey Unauthorized – R & R,  
Ron T. Galla T-ball Field, 1605 E. Hadley Ave.

July 4

5:00am    Fourth of July Fun Run
Triviz Multi-purpose Path

Fourth of July Street Fest

4:00 pm    Local Bands

 8:30 pm    In Concert: Clay Walker – Country
Ron T. Galla T-ball Field, 1605 E. Hadley Ave.

9:30 pm    Mayor’s Comments and Welcome

10:00pm  Annual Fireworks Display
Ron T. Galla T-ball Field, 1605 E. Hadley Ave.

Mike Beckett, owner of COAS Bookstore and long time Las Cruces supporter, has been appointed to the Las Cruces Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) Advisory Board by Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima.

As a native of Las Cruces, Beckett had become a strong voice in the Las Cruces community. After graduating from New Mexico State University, Beckett went to work for his father in the family book business. Twenty years later, he bought the business from his father and he and his wife currently operate COAS Bookstores. He has served as president of the Las Cruces Downtown, chair of the City of Las Cruces’ ad-hoc committee on economic development for the strategic plan, is currently on the board of the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce and is an incoming board member of the Las Cruces Rio Grande Rotary Club.

“I have always loved the Las Cruces community for its people, diverse culture and livability,” said Beckett. “As a member of the CVB advisory board, I hope to bring a fresh perspective.”

The Mayor also reappointed current members Dr. Janet Green and Mark Santiago.

Green is head of the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management at New Mexico State University. She served as the Cabinet Secretary of Tourism under former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson from 1995-2002.  She was also the recipient of the 1998 Tourism Association of New Mexico’s ‘Professional of the Year award.”

Santiago is the Director of the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum and a member of the Las Cruces Rotary Club.

All CVB Advisory Board members are appointed by the Mayor with the consent of the City Council, and serve a three year term with the Mayor having the option to appoint them for a second term.  The board meets the last Wednesday of the month from September through May.

The Southwest Environmental Center’s thirteenth annual Raft the Rio will be held on Saturday, June 12, 2010 on the Rio Grande, near Las Cruces. The family-friendly event is open to individuals and teams of all ages willing to get wet and have fun. Creativity and the use of discarded materials in building rafts are highly encouraged.  

The three-mile rafting adventure will begin at La Llorona Park beneath the Picacho Street bridge, and end just upstream from the Calle del Norte Bridge (“Mesilla Bridge”). There will be refreshments, food vendors and live music at the finish line. 

Prizes will be awarded to homemade boats in the following categories:  

• First to finish
• Least likely to finish (must be floating at start of race)
• Best use of recycled materials
• Most spirited (most enthusiastic crew)
• Best theme (most thorough application of a theme to vessel and crew)
• Champion of the River (best promotes appreciation for the Rio Grande)

This year there are two divisions: Kids and Open. Prizes will be awarded in both divisions. The Kids Division race begins at 10 a.m. sharp, followed by the Open Division at 10:15. To be eligible for the Kids’ Division, at least half the sailors on a boat must be under 13 years of age.  

The river is expected to be full, due to releases of irrigation water from Caballo Reservoir. Teams may register at the starting line beginning at 8:00 a.m., or in advance by contacting the Southwest Environmental Center.  

The entry fee is $10 per raft in advance (or $20 on race day), plus $5 for each crew member 13 years and older (after the first two). Motorized craft are not allowed. New Mexico law requires that children 12 and under wear personal flotation devices. 

Participants who are also members of the Southwest Environmental Center will be entered in a drawing to win an exciting whitewater raft trip for two on the Rio Grande near Taos, courtesy of event sponsor Far Flung Adventures. In keeping with the environmental spirit of the event, participants are encouraged to minimize their purchase of new materials for making rafts.  

Sponsors for this year’s event include: Positive Energy, Inc., Aggie Recreational Equipment, GeoInsight, Blue Moon Bar, Sunspot Solar Enery Systems, LLC, RETHINK Real Estate, Mott Pots, and Mountainview Regional Medical Center. 

For more information, contact the Southwest Environmental Center at (575) 522-5552, or visit www.wildmesquite.org.

The City of Las Cruces will begin the Music in the Park series on Sunday, May 30th with the Mayor’s Jazz Fest. Music in the Park is a 14-week musical extravaganza offering Las Crucens an eclectic mix of music performed by local, regional and nationally recognized artist, at Apodaca Park, Klein Park and Young Park. Music types include: jazz, rhythm and blues, Mariachi, classical, country, Tejano, bluegrass, new wave and pop, among others.

All concerts listed begin at 7:00pm, (except for the Mayor’s Jazz Fest). The following is the 2010 schedule:

Apodaca Park      801 E. Madrid Ave.

 May 30        (Mayor’s Jazz Fest, 6:00 p.m.)
Gerald Veasley – Smooth Jazz – Philadelphia, PA
Roundtrip – Bebop Jazz and Standards – Santa Fe, NM
Ritmo Caluroso – Latin Jazz – Las Cruces, NM

June 6        
The Buzz Tones – Variety – Las Cruces, NM
Benji Rivas – Blues/Variety – Las Cruces, NM

June 13      
Syd Masters & the Swing Riders – Western Swing – Tijeras, NM
Bob Einweck – Folk – Phoenix, AZ

June 20      
Windy City – (Tribute to Chicago) Pop – El Paso, TX

June 27    
Steve Smith & Chris Sanders – Bluegrass – Las Cruces, NM
Rhythm Mystic – World Music – Pinos Altos, NM

Klein Park            155 N, Mesquite St.

July 11        
Fast Lane – C&W, variety, blues – Las Cruces, NM
Redneck Cowgirl – C&W, gospel – Deming, NM

July 18        
Undiskovered featuring Carol Portillo – Variety – Las Cruces, NM
Mariachi Feminil Flores Mexicanas – Mariachi – El Paso, TX

July 25        
Remember Then – Doo Wop & Oldies – Las Cruces, NM
Gene & the Starliners -Oldies but Goodies – Las Cruces, NM

Young Park 1905 E. Nevada Ave.

August 1               
Azucar – Latin Jazz, Salsa – El Paso, TX
Red Hot & Red – Jazz – El Paso, TX

August 8               
NM Symphony Brass Quintet – Chamber Music, pop – Las Cruces
Madera Winds – Chamber Music – Las Cruces, NM

August 15             
Crystal Ship – 60′s Rock, British Invasion Rock – Las Cruces, NM
Los Changos Del Mar – Surf Music – Taos, NM

August 22             
The James Douglas Show – Funk, R&B – Los Angeles, CA

August 29            
 Nosotros – Latin Rock – Las Cruces, NM

Entertainers, locations and dates are subject to change without prior notice. The City has provided the Music in the Park Series as a public service, free of charge, since 1994.   Residents are reminded that in accordance with a City of Las Cruces policy, pets are not permitted at special events held at City of Las Cruces facilities.

For more information, contact the City of Las Cruces PIO office at (575) 541-2200, or online at www.las-cruces.org.

Friday, June 18
Southern New Mexico Pride’s Gaylapalooza
Over the past 20 years, the GLBTQ community in Las Cruces and surrounding areas has celebrated Pride month with a variety of events aimed at celebrating the diversity of its members and their achievements. This year, the Rio Grande Theatre will host a kick-off event co-sponsored by Southern New Mexico Pride and the Doña Ana Arts Council, entitled Gaylapalooza, featuring three of the best and brightest Queer Indie artists touring today: Daniel Cartier, Namoli Brennet and Eric Himan. The musical extravaganza, hosted by Mistress of Ceremonies Ivonna Bump, will kick off a weekend of family-oriented activities and events. Doors open at 6:30pm and the performance begins at 7pm. Tickets are $20, with a portion of the proceeds going to Southern New Mexico Pride as a fundraiser for its weekend events. For more information visit www.SouthernNMPride.org, www.RioGrandeTheatre.com or call (575) 523-6403.

Every Other Tuesday at the Rio Grande Theatre

June 1 – New Horizons Swing Band
Under the direction of Shawn Robinson, this offshoot of the New Horizons Band present such classic standards as  “The Girl from Impanema,” “In the Mood,” “My Funny Valentine,” “Bandstand Boogie” and “The Hawaiian War Chant.”

June 15 – Tuco John Band
A very special engagement with the local Jazz quartet that specializes in standards from the 1930s through the 1950s, with classic rock, R&B and soul tunes thrown in to mix things up a bit.

June 29 – McLaughlin Kids
They first took the Rio Grande Theatre stage a year ago, almost to the day, as part of the David Diaz-created ensemble group Regardless. Now they’re back to show that one doesn’t have to be “seasoned” to rock out old school style.

Please note: Every Other Tuesday performances always begin at 5:30 pm and are free to the public.  For more information contact DAAC at 575-523-6403. 

On Exhibit in the El Paso Electric and Carolene de Mesilla Galleries
Photographer/Filmmaker Mark Vasconcellos
The world of diverse cultures will be examined through the photographic works of local filmmaker Mark Vasconcellos in the Rio Grande Theatre galleries. The exhibition, entitled One World, features 20 color and black & white images taken during his travels throughout the world and will be on display in both the El Paso Electric and Carolene de Mesilla Galleries. The show will run through the entire month of June, 2010, beginning with an artist reception on June 4, from 5 to 7pm, as part of the Downtown Art Ramble.

The Rio Grande Theatre is located at 211 N. Main, in Las Cruces, NM. For additional information, please visit www.RioGrandeTheatre.com or contact the Rio Grande Theatre Manager, David Salcido, at 575-523-6403.

Hampton Hotels has honored the Hampton Inn & Suiteslocated at 2350 E. Griggs in Las Cruces, NM with the company’s Lighthouse Award, designating it as one of the top performing Hampton hotels in the country.

The property was recognized for its high rankings in overall accommodations, service and quality. The award criteria was based on customer feedback measured through guest satisfaction surveys, as well as product quality and service scores measured quarterly by the Hilton/Hampton Hotel brands. 

The “Lighthouse Award” was presented to the property this past March in Dallas, TX, ranking it in the top 5% of Hampton hotels in the United States.

“Thank you, Las Cruces and all surrounding areas for embracing us and for your continued support,” said General Manager Belia Alvarez. “We are incredibly humbled and grateful to be placed in this category.”

The hotel is managed by Premier Hospitality Property and is one of 1,800 Hampton properties worldwide.

“Our goal is to build life-long relationships with our guests and to invent reasons for them to come back to our little corner in “The Land of Enchantment,” said Alvarez.  “Our motto – “We love having you here” – has become a very contagious phrase and our award shows our commitment to it.”

The hotel was also awarded the “Top Performer Award” in 2008 by Hampton, the “Wall of Fame Award” in 2007 and a National Hampton Spirit Award was presented to Bonnie Caldwell, the hotel’s office manager, recognizing her as a “true hospitality leader and for presenting extraordinary service and commitment to guests and teammates.” 

For more information, contact Belia Alvarez at (575) 527-8777.

Las Cruces, NM – “Bittersweet Harvest: The Bracero Program 1942-1964” remains on display at Branigan Cultural Center through July 24, 2010. Several programs are planned in conjunction with the exhibit.

Wednesday, June 9th at 7 p.m. – Bracero Documentary and Lecture
“Los Braceros – Strong Arms to Aid the U.S.A.,” a documentary produced by KVIE, PBS station in Sacramento, CA, provides an overview of the Bracero program.  Following the documentary, Minnie Cheatum will share her remembrances of the Rio Vista Processing Center in Socorro, Texas, where she was a clerk. 

Thursday, June 10th at 2 p.m. – Guided Tour of Bracero exhibit
The public is cordially invited to attend the monthly meeting of the Cultural Center Docents.  A guided tour of the Bracero exhibit will be led by staff.

Saturday, June 26th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Bracero Oral Histories
Anyone who had contact with the Bracero program is strongly encouraged to contact the Cultural Center to set up an interview with the Institute of Oral History at UTEP.  The oral history program is an official partner of the Bracero Archives.  Dr. Kristine Navarro and students will be at the Cultural Center all day to conduct interviews.  For more information on the Bracero Archives visit www.braceroarchive.org

Thursday, July 8 at 1 p.m. – “History Notes”
Guest speaker Cameron Saffell, Curator of History and Oral History Program Director at the NM Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum, will talk about the Bracero Program.

Bittersweet Harvest is a traveling exhibit from Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibits. Funding is made possible through the Smithsonian’s Latino Center, which celebrates Latino culture, spirit and achievement in America by facilitating the development of exhibitions, research, collections and education programs. For more information, visit www.latino.si.edu.

The Branigan Cultural Center is located at 501 N. Main Street, at the north end of the Downtown Mall in Las Cruces.  The exhibits and events are free and open to the public. 

Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 

For more information, contact the Branigan Cultural Center at (575) 541-2154 or visit the Center’s web site at www.las-cruces.org/museums